Government grants for minorities

An article by Nerriman Sangster

The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program provides United States Government grants for projects that have a high level of community involvement.  This program may be an ideal way to get your entrepreneurial community project off the ground.

A dominant feature in the quest for government grants  is the desire of  communities to improve their living standards and develop their districts by implementing various social projects. If you’re looking for access to government grants for minorities, it’s best to position yourself as a marginalised group rather than a minority group determined along ethnic or religious lines.  Learn why you should approach your quest for government grants for minorities from a whole new angle, and see how you can kick start your minority group community initiative through a government grant administered by the American Ambassador to Nigeria.

Why should I shift my focus from “minority group” to “disadvantaged community”?
Minorities in Nigeria are considered to be any group that falls outside the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo ethnic groups. However, there are also religious minorities and minorities within minorities.  As minorities can be a  difficult topic of  classification, government grants tend to focus on disadvantaged groups in general, rather than ethnic groups.

Does this mean that I must ignore the fact that my project is for a particular minority group?
No. It just means that instead of looking for information on government grants for minorities, you should perhaps look for information on government grants in general, or for specific groups such as women, the youth or the disabled.

Why is the SSH Program a good place to start?
The Program provides government grants for any project that originates in a community, and is run by that community. It’s a once-off contribution of USD$3,000 to USD$10,000 for six month projects.

What kind of entrepreneurial community projects qualify for this government grant? There are various kinds of community projects that would qualify for this grant. A few project examples include construction equipment like brick making machines, income-generating equipment like weaving looms, sewing machines or rice-milling machines.

What is the 2010 deadline?
30 July 2010. If you already have a project, you could still apply. You can even be reimbursed for items you’ve already bought. If you don’t have an existing project, you could start making plans to apply next year.

How do I apply for this government grant?
Get all the information by clicking here. Applying for this short term grant will make it easier the next time you apply for a government grant, and remember that if you position yourself as a member of a marginalised community rather than a minority, your search for government grants will yield more results.

More Information on SSH in Africa
The Ambassadors’ Special Self-Help (SSH) Program in Sub-Saharan Africa falls under the Development Assistance Policy of U.S.A Foreign Policy. Funds for assistance are appropriated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the case of the SSH programme, USAID  authority can be delegated to Ambassadors, making it possible for them to respond to requests for assistance from small community projects that promise to have an immediate impact.

Although this article looks specifically at the SSH Program in Nigeria, it is run in many other Africa Countries. To find out if SSH is active in your country visit the SSHP program on the U.S. Department of State website.  Scroll the toolbar on the left-hand side to find contact details, and the specifics of project selection.